Tuesday, November 24, 2009

olly olly oxen free

whenever I go thrifting I always look for old quilts with condition issues. they tend to be priced much lower & are great for repurposing into new things. so at a recent sale I was happy to pay $4 for this quilt:


when I got it home I looked into that hole there & this is what I saw:


since I planned to cut it up sometime in the future anyhow, I decided to go ahead & take it apart right away so I could see what was inside:


after removing all the ties I separated everything & found this inside:


back in the day, old quilts that were beyond repair were often used as the filling for new quilts. in this case a very resourceful seamstress had taken an old quilt, basted on some fabric to the areas that were most worn then used it as the basis for her new quilt. a quilt sandwich with a quilt filling if you will...


as I was carefully folding all the pieces for that photo my mom said how happy she imagined whoever made each quilt would be to know that they were continuing to be loved & cared for...I hope that's true :)

13 comments:

Martha said...

What a great find and a neat surprise! I love buying other quilters' old pieces and blocks and making them into quilts, and I hope someday when my quilts are worn that someone like you will rescue and re-purpose them to give them a new life. It's a nice thought.

Unknown said...

What a great discovery! And I definitely agree with you mom and hope that my quilts will be so cherished long after i'm gone :)

Sarah said...

Nice! The one inside is actually more interesting.

I have one like that waiting to be taken apart when life slows down a bit. I can't wait to see what the inside quilt looks like. (Stupid moving getting in the way!)

dawnkristine said...

What a wonderful find!!!! Thank you for sharing!

Amber said...

How exciting! The quilt inside is gorgeous! I'll have to keep my eye out for secret quilt sandwiches in the future. Thanks for sharing your happy surprise with us. :)

june at noon said...

Wow! I never knew about such a technique. What a neat find for you!

Kaye Prince said...

Wow, what a wonderful discovery! And I love what your mum had to say - so true!

Care said...

Treasure!! I definitely like the original quilt.

And I am CERTAIN that your mom is right about whomever made each quilt!

Tracie said...

What a sweet find! I never knew people did that. I love old quilts; and like you, I grab even the ones that are in well-loved condition. Very cool quilts you got there and what a bargain!

Sentimentally Me said...

Oh Yes, Moms always know best. So great that we can be caretakers of these beautiful old textiles. No matter how bad the condition, I always feel the need to proudly rescue!

ps. loving my photo that I purchased from you of the little red gingham dress :) thanks again! Patrice

Karen said...

WOW!!! jackpot! I too am always looking for old quilts...they must be popular around where I live 'cause I can never find any......and I thrift alot!

Meadowlark said...

They're not even my quilts and it put a lump in my throat knowing they're being loved.

Erika Mulvenna said...

What a great find! I love digging up an old project with a story like this one.